Source London EV charging network to launch in Spring 2011

London’s city wide electric vehicle charging network, Source London, will launch in Spring 2011, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson announced today. Source London will deliver 1,300 public charging points across London by 2013.

The Source London network will create a single visual identity for electric driving across the capital, and allow members to charge their vehicles at any one of these public charging points for no more than an £100 (US$161) annual membership fee. Currently electric vehicle drivers have to register in each separate borough they want to use charge points in.

In preparation for this new network a website, www.sourcelondon.net, has also been launched providing a consolidated source of information on electric vehicles, including charge point locations across the city. Once Source London has been launched in Spring 2011 drivers will be able to sign up for the scheme online.

Siemens has committed to become Source London’s IT and services partner. This will include the Source London back-office operation which will oversee the network and a number of functions such as members’ registration. This investment will deliver a new infrastructure for Londoners without relying wholly on investment from the public purse.

The development of Source London, has been led by Transport for London in close collaboration with the London boroughs and a wide range of private sector partners who will play a key part in funding and providing locations for the network’s charge points. Discussions are now taking place with other UK cities developing charge point networks to ensure they can be used seamlessly by electric vehicle drivers and to ensure London’ work can contribute to a national network of charge points. Transport for London has offered these cities the use of the trademarked Source brand which could mean the creation of a national network under a single identity.

The Mayor has recently reaffirmed a 100% discount from the congestion charge for electric drivers in the capital, as well as other low emission vehicles, which offers electric vehicle owners using the zone a potential saving of more than £2,000 (US$3,225) a year.

At present there are more than 250 charging points in London, with more than half funded by TfL. Around 16,729 pure electric or hybrid electric vehicles are currently registered with DVLA (with approx 2,100 plug-in electric vehicles).

Source: Green Car Congress

Coulomb Technologies to Provide 4,600 Free Home and Public Charging Stations

Locations for the ChargePoint America program. Click to enlarge.

Coulomb Technologies, in partnership with Ford, Chevrolet and smart USA, will provide 4,600 free home and public ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for electric vehicles throughout the United States through the ChargePoint America program.

ChargePoint America will provide 4,600 Level II (220 – 240 volts) public and private ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations by October 2011 to program participants in nine regions in the United States: Austin, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Orlando, Fla.; Sacramento, Calif.; the San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area, California; Redmond, Wash.; and Washington DC.

Charging station installation, in most regions, will be paid for by the individual or station owner, according to Coulomb.

Coulomb will work together with its distribution and industry partners to evaluate the demand from the respective geographic regions and allocate charging stations based on this and other factors. The ChargePoint America project will collect data characterizing vehicle use and charging patterns, and Purdue University and Idaho National Labs will analyze the data.

The $37-million ChargePoint America program is made possible by a $15-million grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy. ChargePoint charging stations are available now for installation in all nine designated regional metropolitan areas of the US.

(Three main factors went into the selection of the regions, Coulomb said. First, each region had to be on at least one of the participating automakers list of target regions where their vehicles will be for sale during the program period. Second, the regions themselves had to write a letter to support the grant proposal. Third, major metropolitan areas that were geographically dispersed were considered.)

More than 1,000 new public charging stations will be installed by December 2010, adding to the existing ChargePoint Network. The remaining stations will be installed by September 2011.

Any purchaser of a program electric vehicle (the Chevrolet Volt; the Ford Transit Connect and Ford Focus Electric; or the smart fortwo electric drive), whose home is located within one of the nine target regions, will be eligible to receive a home charging station at no cost. Homes must be within a 70-mile radius of a given city center to qualify. Individuals apply for the ChargePoint America program at the auto dealer or with the auto company where they purchase the new electric vehicle.

This grant will bring thousands of networked charging stations to nine US regions that are slated to receive the first electric vehicles from our automobile partners. These charging stations will build upon our already growing and established network of infrastructure and will accelerate the deployment of public and private charging infrastructure which will in turn encourage consumers to buy electric vehicles.

—Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies

Businesses interested in receiving public charging stations should visit the ChargePoint America web site and sign up by completing the application form. Individuals interested in purchasing an EV can sign up at www.chargepointamerica.com to receive more information about qualifying to receive a home charging station. Additionally, the ChargePoint America web site provides a way to suggest public locations for charging stations.

ChargePoint Network stations are network-enabled, capable of reporting energy usage and communicating over the network with Software Application Services and Network Support Services to activate capabilities such as:

• Providing open access for all drivers using any standards-based RFID card
• Generating revenue for station owners to offset electricity and maintenance costs
• Sending SMS or Email notifications to drivers for charging complete or interruptions in charging
• Controlling access to eliminate energy theft and to enhance safety
• Integrating with the utility Smart Grid for demand side management and preferred pricing

Charging stations owners can set their own prices for charging through the Flex Billing system. The Flex Billing system enables station owners to set pricing as a function of time of day, calendar date, and driver. Those same stations can also be configured to provide free access to EV drivers.

Coulomb currently has the largest established base of networked charging stations worldwide with more than 700 units shipped to more than 130 customers in 2009.

Source: Green Car Congress